


Latte Art

by werewolfboy



Category: Marvel, Marvel (Comics), Silk (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Cafe AU, F/F, FeliCin is my fave ship right now and I'm gong down with it tbh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-11
Updated: 2017-04-25
Packaged: 2018-08-08 05:11:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,215
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7744594
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/werewolfboy/pseuds/werewolfboy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cindy Moon, at the behest of a sorta-foodie coworker, goes searching for the new Peaches and Cream Cafe, and finds herself falling just a little bit for the tall white haired woman bearing the black cat apron behind the counter. She was always the sort to get tongue tied around beautiful people, but Felicia really is something else.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Meet Cute (Uh, I mean, like, I tried I guess? Look, talking to people is hard and this girl is like ten kinds of beautiful and probably out of my league, so be nice, kay?)

**Author's Note:**

> Update: Listen, I'm gonna be upfront about this. The updates for this fic are going to be sporadic, only cause I'm in college and university so I have a heck ton of work. I usually try and type up a ton of chapters in my downtime and stagger posting but lately I've been having trouble doing it.
> 
> I will be updating though. Thanks for all the kudos and comments! It really inspires me to keep writing!

The cafe had only just opened in the spruced up downtown area known for foodie favourite restaurants and succulent specializing florists. It was a cat-themed cafe, the mascots of which were a pretty tortoiseshell she-cat named Peaches and a calico called Cream. It was a cozy little shop with a patio, in between the recycled furniture shop and the family owned fruits and vegetables market. Cindy had finally found the time to go and check it out, thinking it would be a nice outing to refresh herself after a week bogged down with work and school. One of her friends had mentioned it in passing during a lecture, and she had googled it and scrawled down the address for when she had time to breathe. So today, Cindy had packed her notebook and laptop into her bag and took a bus downtown.

Cindy gazed around at all the fancy buildings, walking aimlessly until she found it. The sign was a bright pastel orange, with the title “Peaches and Cream Cafe” in a less bright blue and baskets of flowers under the windows. Bells rang as she opened the door and warm smells of coffee and food hit her, making her cheeks flush. It felt as if she were walking into a warm hug, and it was only made better when she spotted the cats for which the cafe was named. They were lounging on the table by the window, one black and red and white mass next to a mostly cream mass with spots of gold and black, nestled right in a patch of sunlight. Cindy grabbed her phone and snapped a quick picture, the shutter noise on her phone making the cat's’ ears prick up.

“Welcome to Peaches and Cream Cafe! I’ll be right with you.” said a tall woman with long white hair, who spared her a short glance and returning to her customers. After putting the lid on a drink for them, they walked past Cindy and out to the street. The woman at the counter disappeared to the back with a tray of trash and then reappeared.

Cindy blinked, taking her in. Her hair framed her face and had a faint tint of lavender in colour. Her face was broad, high cheekbones and dark blue eyes, arched eyebrows and an amused look on her face. Her nametag read “Felicia” and she wore an orange and slightly overlarge sweater (cable knit, she noted, admiring the fabric) with a sombre looking black cat on it. Felicia dusted her hands on her black cat apron (with the cafe’s cat logo embroidered above the string) and approached Cindy at the counter.

“What can I get for you today?” Felicia said in a smooth voice. Cindy blushed, noticing how her blue eyes glinted and raked over her. She tucked the strands of hair that had come loose from her bun behind her ear, very self aware now she was being checked out.

“I’ve never been here before. I heard it’s pretty good? Uhm. Any recommendations?” She asked, glancing at the menu and reading over it quickly. Matcha latte, Coffee, a variety of different teas, iced drinks, meals… They had gluten free options, which was probably why her friend had mentioned it, as she was a celiac and often went to scour the city for nice places with a gluten free option. Cindy didn’t mind either way.

“Everything’s good. I’m really fond of the mocha blend and anything we have with matcha in it. If you’re looking for a lunch, our chili bowl is really good. Comes with fries.”

“I think I’ll take that chili bowl. And a matcha latte, with coconut milk, if you have it.Almond or soy is fine too. For here.” She gave a tiny smile, and began to dig in her purse for her wallet, feeling Felicia’s eyes on her as the other woman rung up her order.

Cindy paid and felt their fingers brush as Felicia handed her a receipt with her order number printed at the top. Her fingers were elegant, she noted, and cool. She dug in her wallet while Felicia turned around and dropped five dollars into the tip jar. She tried to think of some conversation to make, wanting to get to know Felicia, but just as she opened her mouth, the barista disappeared into the back.

Just her luck. But maybe… She glanced at the tip jar. It seemed like Felicia was all alone, and with all likelihood she would be the one to clean out the tip jar later on, as it was getting close to full. Quickly, sparing a glance at the door to ensure she wasn’t coming, Cindy ripped a small piece of blank paper from her receipt and wrote her number and name on it. To avoid confusion in case someone else came, she penned in “for Felicia” in tiny letters. Cindy dropped the paper into the tip jar and looked up, face flushed, as Felicia returned with a tray of food.

“Here’s for you, chili bowl with fries. Pick a seat, and I’ll be by with some water and your latte.” She chirped, handing it over. Cindy said her thanks and sat down at the table next to the one by the window, where the cats continued to sun themselves. Within the minute, Felicia came with her latte and a cup of water on a small plate. She bade Cindy to enjoy her meal, her eyes glinting flirtatiously. She sashayed away, and Cindy watched the sway of her hips until she hid behind the counter.

She began to eat her meal, and reached for her latte to wash it down. She smiled, noticing a cute pair of kittens outlined in matcha powder decorating the foam. When she finished, she took her tray and brought it to the counter, not wanting to be rude and leave her things at her table.

“Everything was amazing. Uhm, here. I didn’t know if- you know. Uhm. Yeah.” Cindy gestured to the tray and her table, feeling awkward.

“Oh, thanks. Usually I come by to collect it, but thanks. Nice of you.” Felicia replied, smiling and taking it from her. As she turned around, Cindy noticed that the slip of paper with her number had vanished from the tip jar.


	2. First Attempts Often Fail (In which I forget to do the basic things I do every morning and it costs me a little bit in terms of a taxi ride and a latte)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes you overthink things and forget to do basic stuff, and sometimes when you really really want something, you gotta work a little extra to get it. Of course, I'm talking about the time I was so lost in thought that the milk goes in the fridge, but for Cindy it's.. a little different. Anyway, Shrike's in this one, and he's still grumpy.

Over the weeks, Cindy became a regular at Peaches and Cream Cafe. She came twice a week on Mondays and Fridays for lunch, and every Wednesday near opening to pick up coffees for everyone at work. Felicia had become somewhat closer and friendlier, and Cindy looked forward to dropping in to see her whenever she was in the area. The white haired woman hadn’t texted her until a few days after their first meeting, and when she had texted, it was to say that she admired Cindy’s bravery in boldly giving her number out to strange girls. When she read it, she could almost hear the teasing lilt of Felicia’s voice. It had made her heart soar.

Cindy kept her crush in check, sensing hesitance in Felicia. While they had kept up their texting and gotten to talk more and know each other a bit better as the weeks flew by, Cindy had yet to make an actual move on her. She didn’t know if she could do it, if she was honest with herself. She reflected on her possibilities in front of the mirror one night, her face damp from the recent wash as she braided her semi-dry hair, hoping it would be wavy in the morning. Felicia was becoming a good friend, and Cindy wanted very much to go on a date with her, but could she ask her out?

Maybe she was being too in her face. She had been a customer, and that made it awkward. Her mother had always told her and her brother to avoid asking out people in their workplace, as it made their relations sour. But Felicia had texted her, had accepted her number. Cindy gathered over the conversations they had that she was not the type to be around people who did not interest her. She sighed and finished off her braids, getting into her pajamas and going to bed to read.

When she woke, it was Friday, and she planned an outfit to wear out to lunch, wanting to be stylish given that that would be her only outing all that day in the summer heat, as she would be inside getting ready for graduation for the rest of the weekend. She wondered what Felicia would think, and if asking her out to be at her grad was too much for a first date. She supposed it would, given that her family would be attending, and it might make certain implications about their relationship that Cindy did not want to put herself or Felicia through.

As Cindy unbraided her hair and brushed it just enough that it retained it’s wavy texture, she tried to think of how to ask Felicia out, and what they would do, and where. All of her friends and coworkers, when asked, had given many conflicting ideas. “Dinner and a movie?” her friend Jay had scoffed, “That’s the most cliché first date. Not to say it isn’t good, but it’s overdone. Take her for dinner and then a boat ride or something.”

Marina, having overheard this, coughed politely and when their eyes turned to her, had said: “I think you ought to go to the aquarium, or maybe the Natural History Museum. It’s not done as much as it used to be, and you can both get to know each other through exhibits.” Cindy had entertained both ideas, and still hadn’t come up with anything conclusive. She brushed on concealer and foundation, then lip gloss, and spared a glance to the clock. The face read ten past noon in glowy green digits, Felicia had been at the cafe for three hours now.

She fired off a quick text to let her now she was on her way to say hello, and quickly grabbed her purse and a yellow rose before taking the elevator down and heading out to see her sort-of-but-only-if-you-squint-because-I-haven’t-asked-her-out-yet-so-it-isn’t-official girlfriend. She was probably making this harder than it had to be, right? All she had to do was ask Felicia out, and then set a date and time and then.. But then, what if Felicia asked where she was planning on taking her when she eventually asked her out? Cindy hadn’t even properly thought out what she would say to her to ask her out, much less a tiny explanation about some idea.

Worse, what if Felicia heard out her explanation and then did that cute thing she did to show distaste where she wrinkled her nose up and made a face? It was cute when it was directed at other things, but Cindy felt like the shame and anxiety might swallow her whole if it was directed at her. 

“Suppose I ought to plan something appropriate for whatever time she’s free.. Like, a day at the art gallery if she’s free all day, or like. The aquarium and lunch if it’s afternoon, and.. A movie and dinner at night? Yeah.” She muttered to herself. She wrote down her ideas in a tiny pad and put it in her purse before confidently walking out of the elevator and taking a cab to the downtown area. She got out and paid just a few blocks before the cafe so she had time to rehearse what she was going to say.

She paused just before she could be seen from the windows of the shop to take a deep breath and gain her confidence, then power-walked into the café. Finding that there was a line, she got in and waited behind two girls who were obviously in the honeymoon phase of their relationship. Or so Cindy figured, from all the hand holding and sneaking of kisses. It was adorable, but because of their heights and continued movement, Cindy couldn’t see Felicia at the counter, and so spent her time in the lineup lost in her thoughts. 

It wasn’t until the couple placed their order (“And can we get a side of sweetness for this bee-autiful lady right here?” “Oh stop it, Bethany!”) and moved to their table that Cindy came face with a tall, muscular, blond, very much Not Felicia man who had long hair pulled back in a bun and a very bad case of resting angry face. The nametag on his very apropos grumpy cat apron read “Simon” and Cindy took a few seconds to panic before trying to be nonchalant towards someone who looked as if he literally ate nails for breakfast.

“Uhm, you wouldn’t happen to know where Felicia is, would you? I’m so sorry to ask, but it’s just, I thought this was her shift.” She shifted her weight to her left leg.

“She switched shifts with me. Wasn’t feeling well, or something like that. You gonna order something?”

“Oh, uh, a medium… london fog latte.. Thanks.” She said lamely, disheartened. 

Cindy paid and went off to the side counter to wait, then took out her phone to see she had a text message from Felicia and that her phone was on silent, not, as she had mistakenly thought, on vibrate. Cindy smacked herself mentally for forgetting to hit vibrate in the morning and read the message.

[oh im not actually there today! I was sniffling a little yesterday and today i woke up kinda sick so i switched shifts with one of the others, sorry]

She tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, and typed out a quick reply along the lines of “i went in by accident but hey! feel better soon!” before taking her latte and leaving. She lifted the lid out of habit, as Felicia always liked to change things up and have different latte art done on each drink, but there was nothing there. She sighed and hailed a taxi to go back home, figuring she could always try and ask her again another time.


	3. Oh my god. Oh my fucking god. Oh my god?????

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Cindy graduates and spends time with her family, and gets a surprise visit and revelation from someone she didn't expect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN- Sorry guys, I've been intensely busy with finding a job and with class now that university is a thing. Trying to find a consistent upload schedule. So I decided to give you an extra long chapter this time while I get started on the next two.

After that Friday, Cindy had taken the time to recuperate her courage and had decided that she would ask Felicia out to go to the aquarium as soon as an opportunity presented itself. She had spent the night before her graduation ceremony texting her, wanting to know how she was feeling. As it turned out, Felicia had come down with a small cough, unusual given the time of year, but nonetheless persistent. They had only shared one phone call, and Felicia’s voice had been raspy and hoarse, and since then Cindy insisted on texting only so she could keep her voice intact for emergencies. Felicia had responded to this with a little bout of teasing, but she made it clear she appreciated the gesture.

Cindy was satisfied with her answers, but she also felt like they both knew what Cindy wanted to ask, what she wanted to confirm that they were, but they were just dancing around it. Cindy, because her anxiety manifested so heavily in interpersonal relationships, and Felicia because.. Of some reason Cindy didn’t know. She wished she felt confident enough to show up at her doorstep and just ask her why she shrunk back, but she knew she couldn’t. To do that, she’d have to write out a rough draft of what she’d say to Felicia and then try to anticipate answers and make up replies. And before she could do that she’d have to overcome the snowball of anxious thoughts. Too much work.

Her graduation came and went, a blur of applause and congratulations and tear-wrenching speeches. Her family had come, distant aunts and uncles and cousins packed into a restaurant afterwards, cheering Cindy’s determination in finishing her double major in journalism and creative writing. Cindy’s mother and father had taken photo after photo of her, sitting and eating, getting her diploma, throwing her cap in the air, hugging her brother. Several grainy videos were taken by Cindy’s grandfather on a very old Canon camera, where his hand had smudged the lens and blurred the image, and most of the audio was staticky or just him asking Cindy in Korean how to zoom in.

She had been pleased when the photos on Facebook had been liked and commented on by Felicia, and her brother, Robert, had not missed a second in asking who this new woman was in Cindy’s life. He had his usual wide grin, the kind that looked like a half moon of happiness on when he asked, “Who is that pretty lady liking all my sister’s photos at once?” 

“She’s just a girl I met at a cat café downtown. We kind of hit it off.” She said, blushing a little. Robert immediately widened his grin, and took on a very impish and interested look. Cindy knew what would come next if she didn’t interject and explain.

Before he could say anything that could possibly lead to her parents asking her embarrassing questions, she leaned in and said, “I haven’t asked her out yet, but I am building up to it. So don’t tell mum or dad or anyone, okay? Next thing you know they’ll think we’re going out and they’ll bring her flowers and chocolate and ask her when she plans on marrying me.”

Her brother tossed his hair and gave a short laugh. “Yeah, they really do get like that, don’t they? Ah, don’t worry, Cin, I won’t rat you out. But you really should ask her out sooner than later. Girl like that, she’s gotta have admirers.”

Their desserts came and went and they stayed behind, all of them, as the lights in the restaurant dimmed and waiters came with mugs of coffee and tea for all of Cindy’s assembled relatives. Her phone buzzed intermittently, alerts of being tagged in photos that her relatives had put on Facebook and messages from family in South Korea over Whatsapp. Cindy checked and replied to anything relevant and spent the rest of the night in a great mood.

Eventually, they put on their coats and gathered their bags and Cindy watched all of her relatives say their goodbyes to each other and give their congratulations to her parents. She made sure to give them all hugs and to thank them for coming out all this way to see her, take care, goodbye. She gathered her own things, stuffing as much as she could into her purse- should have taken the bigger one, she thought to herself, too much stuff to carry today. Shouldering her bag, she walked with her parents to their car and said her own goodbye to them and to her brother, who only told her to make sure she asked out that pretty woman before he climbed into their car and left as Cindy watched.

Her phone buzzed again as she turned to go back inside and call a taxi, the steady buzz of a phone call. Cindy fished it out of her pocket and nearly fainted, seeing Felicia’s picture flashing on the screen. She swiped the phone to answer, “Hullo?”

“Hey, Cindy. Is that you in the yellow coat and blue dress?” The background noises on Felicia’s end sounded like busy streets and quiet music. Cindy tried to imagine her, hair tucked behind her ears and focusing on the road, one hand on the steering wheel- or both, if her car had bluetooth.

“Yeah, how do you know-” “I’m pulling up by the curb, I’m the silver car.” Felicia interrupted, and Cindy looked up to see the aforementioned silver car and an elegantly dressed white haired woman inside, waving at her, She felt her cheeks flush hotly, and she nearly tripped over herself with excitement making her way over to the car. 

“I’m here to drive you. Get in, cmon. And hey, I know I already said this on Facebook or twitter or somewhere, but congrats on today.” A warm smile suffused Felicia’s face, and she smoothly slid into the lane as Cindy buckled herself in.

“Thanks, Feli, but how did you get here?” And why, Cindy didn’t ask. Felicia took a long moment before answering, so long, in fact, that Cindy almost asked her again. Those dark blue eyes were holding an intense but faraway look that was definitely not seeing the road and cars in front of her.

“You had geotags on in all of your photos and half of them had the window with the restaurant’s name painted on the glass in the shot. Also, no offense, but literally every graduate eats their grad dinner at Scarapelli’s. Place has got the best meatballs in town. But that isn’t all. I mean, that isn’t.. I didn’t come here just to pick you up, I mean.” Felicia said, glancing over at her passenger. Cindy’s heart flopped in her chest, hardly daring to hope.

“So then.. Why did you come, if not just to pick me up?” And how long are we going to continue this dance, she almost added. Almost. And here it was, the back-and-forth in action between them. Each holding back from the other something they wanted, no, needed, to say. But didn’t. Cindy hated herself for not asking. Unbeknownst to her, Felicia felt the same way.

The gap in the conversation between them was almost physical, a heavy and sort of humid thing. It felt pregnant, and the white haired woman looked like she was trying to find the courage to say something difficult. She also looked sick.

“I wanted.. I needed to apologize to you. And the only reason I’m doing this now is because I’m not at work and I feel like I can do it, and I’m driving so I know I’m not going to do anything stupid like run away or make excuses or fake sick-” Cindy’s eyes widened, she had lied to her, Felicia had lied to her, why on earth-

“I’m not going to do any of that because it’s dumb and you’re in my car. So.” She took a deep breath. “I know you want to ask me out. It’s clear as day on your face every single time you come to the cafe. I can read it in every text message.”

“I think you’re a sweet girl. And you’ve been a good friend these past couple of.. God, I don’t actually know how long it’s been, but. You’ve been there. Around. Even if it’s only at the cafe that you see me. And I like this, by the way,” she broke off to gesture at the space between them, “this seeing you outside of work thing.”

Cindy’s heart dropped, and she felt sick, certain the next words out of Felicia’s mouth would be “I’m not interested in you that way, sorry”.

“I would love to go out with you. I really would. And I wanted to say I was sorry about.. All that other stuff. I’ve had a.. Rocky romantic life. Put it mildly. So I didn’t want to take any chances. So here I am. Driving you.”

A pause. Did she really just say that? Cindy blinked and her mouth gaped but she couldn’t make a noise. After a moment, Felicia looked over at her, concerned. “You okay?”

Cindy took a shaky breath and tried to relax, on pins and needles. “Yeah, yeah I’m- oh my god. Oh my god, you want to go out with me. God, you have no idea, I was going to ask you out.” She laughed a little, it all seemed so silly to her now. Felicia laughed a little herself, and returned her grin, turning left at the lights and rounding the corner to go back up the street from where she had picked Cindy up.

“So, this drive. Is it to your place or mine?” Cindy asked, feeling like she had enough confidence that she could dare to ask that question.

Felicia took a moment, passing the restaurant and gave her a cool smile. “Entirely up to you."


	4. A sleepover is a first date, right? Right???

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felicia is a really good host, and Cindy is really really in lesbians with her. For real.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PLEASE READ:  
>  I am SO sorry it took me this long to update! I edited the first few chapter notes so that they'd reflect the reasons why, but just so you guys know: I'm in college AND university at the same time, and it's taking up a large portion of my life. I dedicate myself first and foremost to my studies, since I'm paying so much to be there.. So these fics that I write, as a hobby, it's really just going to be updated when I can spare the time to write and upload.
> 
> Again, I am so sorry it took this long! Enjoy!

        Cindy’s heart pounded and the anxiety built up in her body until the shaking of her hands got so fast they seemed to be steady and calm. Felicia had offered Cindy a night at her home, and Cindy had said yes, feeling wildly happy and brave. But now, as they neared, Cindy began to regret her decision and her palms sweated and what if Felicia didn’t like her what if it was all some kind of big farce what if she-

 

         “Hey. Hey, Cindy, you okay? I was just saying, we’re almost there. You look pale, is something wrong?”

 

        “Oh, uh. I’m fine. Nervous, I guess.” She lied, relaxing slightly.

 

        “Been a while, I’m guessing?” Felicia gave her a sly smile. “Don’t worry, we don’t have to do anything. It could just be a.. Sleepover. But gayer.”

 

        Cindy snorted, unable to help herself. Felicia smiled that same teasing smile,letting out a laugh before she continued.

 

        “No, no, I’m serious. I’ll paint your nails. Braid your hair. Gossip about cute people. Read, uh.. Fuck, what was that magazine.. Tween Heartthrob? Yeah. Gossip about the Jonas Brothers or whatever.”

 

        Cindy howled with laughter, despite herself. Felicia joined in, equally amused, and Cindy smiled at her when she eventually caught her breath. That sly, sly woman, and her way of soothing Cindy’s nerves with a joke. The reassurance that her performance in bed wasn’t necessarily going to be put to the test tonight was even more assuaging. It  _ had _ been quite a while, at that.

 

        Felicia parked the car in front of a tiny periwinkle blue house. It looked quite lived in, and there were scraggly rosebushes hugging its outline, a few buds about to bloom but no flowers yet. She turned the engine off and got out, waiting for Cindy to do the same before she locked the car and hopped up the three wooden steps to the very tiny front porch and moved to unlock the door.

 

        “After you, fair lady.” She opened the door and held her arm towards it, smiling all the while. Cindy blushed but walked through, crossing the threshold and taking in the house. In front of her was a small square space, a plastic mat with a pair of boots on it was to her left. Cindy stepped out of her flats and put them on the mat, walking up the two steps in front of her to let Felicia in.

 

        The other woman took her shoes off and placed them neatly on the shoe-mat, closing and locking the door and walking up the steps to Cindy. She walked past her to the left, tossing her coat on a small beat-up red couch in front of a television in what appeared to be a repurposed white dresser. She kept walking into the kitchen, parallel to the couch, and began to rummage in the drawers.

 

        “I’m going to brew myself a coffee, you make yourself at home. Oh, actually, you want anything?” Felicia paused and looked up at Cindy, who sat down on the couch and shook her head.

 

        “Alrighty, then. I’ll get you water, just in case.” Cindy watched her take a glass and grab a Brita pitcher from the fridge, pouring it out. The coffeemaker began to gurgle, and Felicia waited for it to be done before pouring herself a mug and adding cream and sugar. Felicia sauntered over to Cindy and handed her her glass, sitting down on the opposite end of the couch and curling up, cat-like, with her coffee.

 

        Cindy stretched and clutched the white carpeted floor underneath her toes tightly, clenching and unclenching. She sipped her water, and put it aside when her hands began to shake. Felicia sipped her coffee in relative quiet, eyes never leaving Cindy’s slender frame.

 

        “I don’t.. Suppose you’d let me slip into something a bit less formal, would you?” Cindy asked after a moment, feeling overdressed in her graduation outfit as compared to Felicia’s elegant but decidedly not dressy skin-tight black jeans and black-and-white cat sweater.

 

        The white haired woman shrugged, a hint of a playful smirk on her face. She reached over to the coffee table beside her, where Cindy had put down her glass, putting her mug down and letting her sweater ride up to reveal a patch of bare skin. Cindy swallowed, noticing it immediately.

 

        “Oh, well, I suppose I can let you borrow my clothes for the night. You look to be about my size, if only shorter. Come with me.” She got up and crossed over, taking Cindy’s hand and beginning to lead her to the right side of the house, leaving the living/dining room and kitchen behind for a hallway that opened to a bathroom on Cindy’s immediate right, a spare room that looked like an office or study room on her left, a few closets, and a final door on the right that opened into a spacious bedroom. 

 

        She let go of Cindy’s hand and crossed to a large, beat up looking dresser. She opened the first drawer, revealing a collection of neatly folded and organized socks, bras, and panties taking up half of the drawer (organized by colour, Cindy noted) and large sleepshirts on the other half. Felicia waved her over and stepped back, giving a yawn. 

 

        “You can pick whatever you like. I have sleep shorts in the drawer underneath that one. They’re all short shorts, though, just so you know. I have a thing for them.”

 

        “Well, if I had known that, I woulda worn short shorts to the café until you asked me out yourself.” Cindy joked, picking out a pair of dark blue shorts and a large graphic tee that had a screen-printed black cat on the front.

 

        “It probably, definitely would have worked. Eventually. Anyway, I’ll go, yknow. Leave you to change.” Felicia replied smoothly, turning away and heading to the door. She paused at the doorway and turned back, batting her eyelashes and looking Cindy up and down. “Unless you want me to stay.”

 

        Cindy gave a hard swallow, imagining the possibilities and implications of her offer (unspoken and spoken) and the way she had said it. She blushed and clung to the clothes tighter, holding them to her chest. It was tempting, to say the least. Felicia was looking at her like a cat about to pounce on something, and Cindy was almost certain that sex with this woman would be a very good experience.

 

        “Well.. I mean, we’re. We’re, serious-dating, right? Not casual-dating?” Cindy asked, turning to face her.

 

        “Yeah. We’re for serious. Godfather serious.  _ È  _ _ vero. _ ” Felicia said, her voice dipping into a poor imitation of Marlon Brando’s infamous Godfather voice. “Anything we do tonight is dictated solely by how comfortable you are doing it. What are you comfortable with?”

 

        Cindy grinned at her, at ease.

 

        “Then.. maybe just. A kiss, or something. Since this is technically a first date. I’m not usually the type to rush in to that side of a relationship.”

 

        Felicia shrugged fluidly, turning to close the door so Cindy was alone. “Understood, loud and clear.”

 

        After Cindy changed and got washed up, she helped the other woman set up a fluffy futon and some blankets on the floor next to Felicia’s bed. Felicia cracked jokes the entire time, saying anything and everything to Cindy, who felt like Felicia was really serious about opening up and being together. 

 

        Cindy plopped onto her “bed”, amazed at how soft and fluffy it was. Felicia then excused herself to wash her face, and Cindy curled up under the covers.

 

        “You know,” she called to Felicia, “This has got to be the most interesting first date I’ve ever been on. How many people get to say that their first date was a cutesy sleepover?”

 

        “Not that many, now that I think about it!” Felicia called back after a moment. She returned in the doorway with a kind of sleepy glow about her, her makeup washed off and her hair spilling over her shoulders wildly. 

 

        “You look.. So pretty. I mean, you always look pretty. But seeing you at home like this is a different kind of pretty..” Cindy said after a silent moment gazing at her. Her heart throbbed when Felicia blushed,  _ actually blushed _ , and crossed over to lie down in her own bed.

 

        “Well, that’s the most sapphic thing I’ve heard in months.” She chuckled, obviously pleased with Cindy’s compliment. They shared a laugh, and stared at each other quietly, comfortably.

 

          “It’s.. really late. I have an opening shift at the café tomorrow, so.. I’ll be going to sleep now, if you don’t mind.” Felicia half-whispered, shuffling closer so that her beautiful head was in front of Cindy’s, who had sat up.

 

        “I think I’ll go to sleep too, then.” Cindy whispered back, her heartbeat quickening. Cindy’s eyes flickered from Felicia’s eyes to her beautiful mouth, and admired her plump lips for just a moment.

 

        “Then goodnight.” Felicia said, even quieter, following Cindy’s gaze and staring right back at Cindy’s mouth.

 

        “Goodnight.” Cindy said, moving in a bit closer so that her breath tickled Felicia’s nose.

  
        “Goodnight.” Felicia agreed, and she closed the distance between them, their mouths joining for just a few heartbeats, warm and soft. Cindy shut her eyes and leaned in, shivering, but not from the cold.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you guys have any suggestions for this fic, I'd love to hear them! Actually, I appreciate feedback of any kind. I would like to really really thank those of you who leave kudos and comments! They inspire me to keep writing!!


	5. Whatever it was you were expecting I guarantee this isn't it but it's better than whatever you thought it would be

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felicia and Cindy celebrate their one year anniversary together at the restaurant that led them to their first kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyooo! Sorry I ain't updated this is a while, I was having trouble with school and then, well. Lotsa things happened, and put bluntly 2016 ain't over yet. Trying to find the positives now to try and recuperate from all the crap. Thank all you you who have commented and who have given me kudos- you're the only reason I forced myself to keep writing. All your comments and kudos make my day real special.

        They had been dating for over a year since that night. More or less, by Felicia’s estimate, but Cindy kept a very detailed calendar of events that led to this very day a year later. They had kissed, and Felicia had made her breakfast and Cindy kept coming to the cafe on a regular basis. Except these visits often turned into dates and led them to new and exciting places, like ice skating on the pond when it was frozen over and sharing hot chocolate flavoured kisses underneath a string of fairy lights. 

 

        They had had their fights, and some of them had been really really bad. Cindy didn’t really like remembering those, where they had both screamed and screamed at each other and Cindy broke out crying as a reflex and Felicia grew too impulsive and hasty for her own good and kicked her out. Or when Cindy assumed the worst, always, and she never said anything and it all got so bad and she couldn’t stop the fear that Felicia would just go away and find someone else without these anxieties and never come back to her.

 

        But always, there was the cafe, and Cindy would go and bring Felicia an apology and a cat sweater. And always, Felicia would silently hand Cindy a steaming hot mug with a goofy cat doodle in the foam. There was always latte art and there was always apologies and they tried their damndest to make it work again. 

 

        The first time they told each other “I love you” had been a moment pregnant with heavy emotion. Cindy had trembled, afraid that that was it, they had gone as far as they could go and now she had gotten too attached and Felicia would leave her because of it. Felicia had blinked and returned the words, holding Cindy’s hand and acting like an anchor to keep her from floating away into the sky with her thundercloud thoughts.

 

        And now it had come to this, a year to the day they had begun their journey. Cindy spent the day at work floating, endlessly happy that their anniversary had come and it was all going  _ so well _ . Felicia had even graced her with an extra special breakfast in bed and a beautiful sappy card with a cat on it that said “I love mew!”. They had made love in the short time they had before they each had to go to work (Cindy’s internship had turned into a stable job, and the pay was good and came in stable enough increments to enjoy life) and Cindy had called in to confirm their reservation for eight o’clock at Scarapelli’s.

 

        She felt her phone buzz in her pocket and took it out, impatiently swiping and tapping her passcode when Felicia’s icon lit up her screen.

 

        [hey babe! Xoxo im just closing up shop right now, i’ll come around to pick you up in like half an hour when im ready]

 

        Cindy typed back an “OK” and got a cat kiss emoji in return, making her beam at her phone. She spent the rest of her time getting ready, trying out a new foundation and admiring the way it looked on her skin. She put a matte lipstick on and took a few photos to post later on, moving to check her Facebook. 

 

        The photos Cindy had taken of Felicia meeting her parents and her brother had gotten an unholy amount of likes from her extended family members, and all of the comments were in Korean commenting on what a well educated young woman Felicia was and how attractive they were together. Thankfully, Felicia only had a rudimentary grasp of Korean (she had begun taking lessons to surprise Cindy, who regarded it as the most romantic thing anyone had ever done for her) and couldn’t respond because Cindy was sure she’d only add fuel to the fire.

 

        Precisely half an hour later, Cindy opened the door to find Felicia mid-knock. Her white haired girlfriend laughed and leaned forward to press her lips to Cindy’s, pulling back and giving her a once over with clear approval in her eyes.

 

        “You look beautiful. Is that the lipstick I left here the other day?” Felicia asked, cupping Cindy’s jaw in an elegantly manicured hand.

 

        “Yeah. Figured since what’s mine is your and vice versa I was allowed to try it.” Cindy joked, leaning in for another kiss.

 

        “Mm. Keep it. Looks better on you anyway.” Felicia breathed against her mouth. Cindy bounced on her heels and snuck in another kiss before stepping out of the door and locking it behind her.

 

        “The reservation’s all set, we just need to show up.” Cindy reminded her girlfriend, hopping down the stairs two at a time to the parking lot. Felicia nodded her assent and paused suddenly.

 

        “Hang on, I think I dropped something. Here, take my keys and bring the car around front, I’ll be a second.”

 

        Cindy caught the keys her girlfriend tossed carefully and shrugged, making her way to the car. She hadn’t heard anything, but Felicia was scrupulous about the items she carried on her person so if she said something was up, it probably was. She got in the car and brought it around the front of the apartment complex, turning down the volume of the radio and tuning out the indie song playing from the speakers. Felicia came through the door not two minutes later and switched seats with Cindy so she could drive.

 

        “Find what you dropped?” Cindy asked as she fastened her seatbelt.

 

        “Yeah, turns out it was my hand sanitizer.” Felicia said, waiting for her to get safely settled before driving out into the downtown area.

 

        Cindy furrowed her brow. “Isn’t that bottle, like, fastened to your bag? On like, a chain?”

 

        “Came loose.” Felicia said without missing a beat. Cindy decided it wasn’t worth pursuing and drummed a beat on her knees.

 

        Felicia parked the car and crossed over to open Cindy’s door, taking her arm and leading her into the restaurant after locking the car. Cindy caught a glance at herself in a window and blushed hotly; they looked like an intimidatingly elegant couple. Cindy could hardly believe that any two people in the world could look so beautiful together.

 

         The waitress waiting to seat them at their table seemed to think so too, glancing at them both. Cindy held on tighter to Felicia’s arm as if to stake her claim. Felicia moved closer, her side up against Cindy’s side as she looked down at the shorter girl, clearly inclined not to allow for any illusions that she and Cindy were anything but a dizzily in love couple.

 

        Felicia pulled out Cindy’s chair and sat opposite her, folding those long legs under the table and ordering some fancy French champagne. Cindy, delirious with happiness already, barely noticed Felicia glancing over at something behind her and giving an imperceptible nod. She clinked her glass against Felicia’s and sipped, wrinkling her nose when the bubbles stung her.

 

         They placed their order together and shared breadsticks and gossip about the workplace. Felicia had unofficially become the manager and co-owner, mostly in charge of the Peaches and Cream cafe and its feline inhabitants ever since the real owner (a very old and very kind woman) had taken time off to mourn her husband (died of a stroke not three months past, poor thing). That of course meant that Felicia had to put in more hours and be even more responsible about her workplace friendships and who she hired. As a result, Felicia was more in the spotlight as the cafe continued to grow in fame and success. It had become a queer hotspot once one of the local food bloggers had caught a tail end of a work date. 

 

        Felicia had also become the unofficial owner or the cafe’s titular cats while the owner grieved. Cindy got to see them more often when she went to Felicia’s house, and as a result they had gotten into the habit of attaching themselves to her whenever she was in the cafe.

 

        “-so then Peaches whacked Cream from the cupboard and they just starting fighting. I know it was a playfight and all, but some of the customers were really concerned. Things are fine now though.” Felicia told her, holding Cindy’s hand on top of the table and leaning forward.

 

        “Well, that explains the local bloggers and their ‘catfight’ tags. I was worried someone said something mean about, you know. Us. And stuff.” Cindy looked down for a moment.

 

        “Nah. They wouldn’t dare.” Felicia said mildly. 

 

        “What, because you’d beat them up?” Cindy teased her.

 

        “No, because my cute girlfriend would.” Felicia booped her nose with her free hand and moved back as their food arrived.

 

        They fell into a steady silence, occasionally chatting about something or other but more focused on eating. As the waitress cleared their table and brought them dessert menus, Felicia leaned over suddenly.

 

        “Cin, you’ve got something in your teeth. You might want to go to the bathroom. Don’t worry about dessert, I’ll tell the waitress to come back when you’re here.”

 

        Cindy ran her tongue over her teeth lightly, not feeling anything. “You sure?”

 

        “Positive. I think it’s some of that romaine from the side salad.”

 

        Cindy squinted, then shrugged and went to the bathroom. She bared her teeth at herself in the mirror, then squinted in confusion. There wasn’t anything in her teeth! To be sure, she checked again and found nothing. Cindy’s face went hot and she splashed water onto it, carefully patting dry so as not to ruin her makeup. That did it. Felicia was acting weird. First the sanitizer, then this. And just what  _ had _ Felicia been nodding to over Cindy’s shoulder earlier?

 

        She waited for her face to be dry before marching out of the bathroom and toward their table, ready to give Felicia an angry interview..

 

        ..And was left with her mouth agape.

 

         Felicia was standing next to their table, which now had a fancy Baroque candlestick holder and a beautiful raspberry dark chocolate mini cake, dusted with powdered sugar with a berry reduction glazed over it. Across from the mini cake there were two large mugs. On Felicia’s other side were a few of the waitstaff and some of the line cooks from the kitchen playing a song on their violins.

 

        “... What’s all this?”

 

        “Don’t be too mad. I had to do a lot of work behind your back to pull this off without you knowing. You’re really perceptive.”

 

        “The hand sanitizer?”

 

        “Covering for a phone call.”

 

        “The nod?”

 

        “Making sure they had their instruments.”

 

        “Lying to me about having lettuce in my teeth?”

 

        “Buying time to set this up.” 

 

        “.. Why? Why all this?”

 

        Felicia took a measured step forward. Cindy felt eyes on her from around the restaurant, but ignored them in favour of the dark blue eyes of her girlfriend. She took a deep breath, and it choked her, and she stopped breathing altogether when Felicia knelt before her.

 

        “Cindy, all this stuff was so I could make a scene. Because I want to marry you, if you.. If you want to marry me?”

 

        Cindy’s mind short circuited. The reboot only lasted a few seconds and she stared right back into Felicia’s nervous eyes, then burst into a grin.

 

        “Yes! Yeah, yeah I’ll marry you! Oh my god, yes!!”

 

        Squealing, Cindy knelt down and hugged Felicia, kissing her and kissing her. Felicia thrummed against her, shaking like Cindy had on the night they first kissed. They rose unsteadily, still holding each other tight and laughing amid the scattered applause and cheers from the onlookers. 

 

        On the table beside the newly engaged women two mugs lay steaming and in each one, there in the foam, were two happy cats with their tails entwined looking up at a bright star.

  
  
**THE END**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If this gets enough kudos and people really reeeeally ask for it, I might post an epilogue I've been typing up. I again want to thank everyone who read this and left kudos and comments or bookmarked it, I don't know if you're reading these notes but this is for you.


	6. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's been ten years now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is really an indulgence on my part, I had wanted to write an epilogue at some point but I got a few comments and lots of positive vibes and so I wrote this. Daily reminder that comments and kudos inspire me and other authors to keep writing!

        Ten years later, in the downtown district known best for its well reviewed locally sourced and owned restaurants, the Peaches and Cream Café still prospered. It was spring and well past the last frost, so there were baskets of daffodils, tulips, and bluebells under the large windows. In recent years, the café expanded enough to adopts a terrace with three outdoor tables and a small chalkboard sign that advertised daily specials. The sign hanging above the door had been repainted and well varnished against the elements.

 

        Inside, much was the same as it had been since it opened with the exception of size. The walls had been repainted to a very pale orange and there were now display cases for the sweets and some of the sandwiches advertised on the menu above the register. 

 

        The cats, Peaches and Cream, were still famous (or infamous, as the case may be) presences in the lounge. Of course, they were both very very old and frail and of late inclined to do nothing but doze in the sunlight. In the evenings they went home with Felicia, who owned and managed the café and had done for about six years after the death of the former owner. Lately, Felicia had been looking over shelter postings in their area to see if she could find some other feline friends to add to their family.

 

        What a family it was, too. When Felicia had married Cindy, she had also (as the old adage goes) married her family. Over the years her rudimentary Korean had become exceedingly better and Felicia was able to hold her own with Cindy’s extended family in lengthy conversations, and had fallen in very well with Cindy’s grandparents. Felicia confessed to having no family of her own when prompted, as she had been an only child and her parents were long since dead, and Cindy’s family had taken her into their arms even more wholeheartedly.

 

        Cindy herself had continued at her job and risen through the ranks considerably since their marriage. She co-managed the café with Felicia and focused on the social media aspects in addition to her job at the media company. She was a major help to her wife and was the reason why the café was always busy.

 

        The two women had gotten enough money to be able to move into a house together, a bit closer to Cindy’s work. They’d lived there for about five years now, and Felicia was putting aside funds to do some repairs and renovations it needed. Cindy for her part was in charge of decorating and painting, and they both started and maintained a very beautiful garden. It was heaven, on earth. Or something like that, anyway. Cindy was certain she’d never been as happy before, and her wife felt the same way about her.

 

        It remained true that no couple was without their highs and lows, and they did their very best to work through the tough times together and stay on top. Cindy and Felicia always tried to find the time for dates, and they made sure to thank each other for doing even the littlest things. After all, the little things we take for granted often have a ripple effect on the rest of our days or moods. So when Felicia made her a hot drink in the morning or when Cindy bought them new matching slippers, the two women made sure to thank each other for it. 

 

        It had been ten long years of marriage, and it had been even longer since they’d met. But every now and again, Felicia liked to remember the day that a short and beautiful woman had walked into her café and left her number in the tip jar. And every now and again, Cindy liked to remember the tall and elegant woman who always drew special things in her lattes. 

 

        The two women loved each other, and they were happy. And that’s really all there is to it.

  
**END**


End file.
